Mentour Pilot details the accident involving Bering Air flight 445, a Cessna 208 Bravo Grand Caravan, on 6 February 2025. The flight was scheduled from Unalakleet to Nome, Alaska. The pilot, who was qualified and current, found himself with more passengers than initially planned after another carrier cancelled its flight. This led to a significant discrepancy in the aircraft's weight and balance calculations before departure.

Weight and Balance Issues

Investigators later determined that the aeroplane's actual takeoff weight was approximately 9,798 pounds, over 750 pounds more than the 9,044 pounds declared on the paperwork signed by the pilot. Both figures were above the maximum approved weight of 8,807 pounds for flight in known icing conditions. The video explains this overload was partly due to the aircraft carrying extra fuel from earlier, cancelled flights. When six unexpected passengers were added, the pilot did not offload cargo to compensate. Instead, the fuel weight on the manifest was understated to make the numbers appear within limits. The NTSB found that data from the Garmin G1000 avionics suite showed similar discrepancies on previous flights, suggesting this had become a practice at the airline which had gone undetected by the company or the FAA during a period of major expansion.

Severe Icing and System Management

After taking off, the flight climbed to 8,000 feet and encountered icing conditions over Norton Sound that were more severe than forecast. The video explains the phenomenon of supercooled large droplets (SLD), which can cause ice to form rapidly and in areas behind the protected leading edges of the wings. The Caravan was equipped with a TKS fluid-based ice protection system, which pumps a glycol fluid through porous panels to prevent and remove ice. Mentour Pilot notes that in serious icing, pilots were trained to maintain a minimum speed of 120 knots. During the descent towards Nome, an air traffic controller, unaware of the icing severity, suggested the pilot slow down to accommodate runway clearing operations. The pilot complied, reducing power and allowing the airspeed to drop below the 120-knot minimum.

Autopilot Use and Loss of Control

With the autopilot engaged in altitude hold mode at 4,000 feet, the reduction in power caused the airspeed to decay. To maintain altitude, the autopilot continuously increased the aeroplane's pitch, raising the angle of attack. This created a deceptively stable situation that masked the deteriorating performance and eroding stall margin. The video highlights that this specific danger with the Caravan's autopilot in icing was well-known, leading to the implementation of a Low Airspeed Awareness (LAA) system. As the airspeed fell below 99 knots, the LAA system activated, sounding an alarm and automatically disconnecting the autopilot. The pilot reacted to the descent by pulling back on the controls. This action exceeded the wing's critical angle of attack, inducing a stall from which there was not enough altitude to recover. The aeroplane rolled sharply and crashed into the pack ice below.